Cornus controversa 'variegata'

Hi everyone-
I was at a local nursery (Flower World) and saw this beautiful tree growing in a landscaped area. It was on sloping ground, with tall trees to the east, but it was pretty much in the open. I think it would be perfect in my yard, on a mild slope, where it would be protected on the south and west side by evergreen trees instead.
The nursery does not sell them, saying they can't get them any more. I found a lone nursery in Oregon that sells them, but they are grafted. I hesitate to buy grafted trees/shrubs, as I think grafted tree trunks are ugly, and they remind me of all the diseased grafted flowering cherries I see everywhere. I also wonder about long term health of large grafted specimens, and I can't stand the suckers I get from the rootstock. Hmm, I never realized I disliked them so much until just now.
So I thought that this winter I could go buy or beg a branch of the tree I admire, and try growing it myself from a hardwood cutting. Other Cornus species reportedly root easily. What do you all think? Especially I want to ask Growin if this tree is a good choice for the Pacific Northwest. The one at the nursery is mature, and looked 100% healthy, even after 5 weeks with no rain at all. I wonder if the lack of a commercial source of this tree means there is some problem with them.
Thanks in advance for your advice!

Not to poke any fun, but more to point out what should be more obvious...

If this plant was reproducible by simply sticking a hardwood cutting in the ground, there would be no shortage in availability nor would it be relatively rare in the landscape.

So. Keep looking online for sources. I have seen this plant more than a few times around, so it should be less rarely available than you seem to have found. Look for synonyms - 'Variegata' is likely not the only form with the foliage variegation you crave.

If grafted specimens worry you...ask at any of the respected and longtime arboreta and gardens in that hotbed of horticulture known as the Pacific Northwest United States (and southwest Canada) and see if this - and other - selections are grafted, and how long they've survived. Graft problems can derive from poor grafting techniques; mismatched rootstock and scion; and a few other arcane reasons. Most often, grafted/budded plants live as long and longer than rooted cuttings or seedling grown plants. It is not as much of a cr@pshoot as might be imagined, or we'd have next to no fruit and nut crops that we take pretty much for granted.

Hi VV-
I did a little more searching on this issue at your urging. This tree is on a recommended list by "Great Plant Picks" for the PNW, so it should be a good choice for me. The RHS says commercially these are usually grafted, but it is easy for the home gardener to propagate by hardwood cuttings, This is echoed by the U. of FL. who say "cuttings with ease" but maybe they are using the same info, and this species is not recommended for FL so I am not sure they know this from actual experience. "Plants for a Future", a British nonprofit, also says half ripe side shoots can be used in July/August, and mature cuttings in autumn. Oakwood Gardens says use softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer.
I think I will try!

I, too, have read that the species Cornus controversa root readily from softwood cuttings in summer using IBA and sand/perlite. Whether that will be replicated in a variegated form that has much lower photosynthetic capacity...

I tend to forget that you live in the much more benign climate of Washington state - jealous, jealous.

Absolutely no harm in trying - please relate your progress and successes here. It will inspire others.